I was able to buy a limited quantity of these 45" wide silks at a very reasonable price, and I am passing my savings on to you! Wide-width slings are terrific for big babies and toddlers -- their extra width provides more support for taller bodies, and if you're breastfeeding, it's easy to pull up the edge for coverage. I've spent many hours walking around in stores and parks nursing Susan in a wide-width sling with no one the wiser. I do not recommend wide-width slings with newborns, since the sheer amount of fabric can be overwhelming for those tiny bodies, and placing a newborn in a cradle hold can be dangerous with the very deep pouch that can be formed with so much fabric. However, if your newborn days are over, these are fantastic!

Dupioni silk differs from silk shantung in its weave: dupioni is woven from a doubled silk cocoon, which leads to more "slubs" and variations in the texture, but it has a more natural look to it. While it is initially quite crisp, the fabric *can* be machine washed on gentle, though I would recommend hand-washing if at all possible. If machine-washed, it will lose some of its luster and shrink about 10%, but will get softer. Please indicate below how you intend to wash it; if you will be machine-washing it, I will add a few inches to the length to insure that the sling is the correct length after washing. (If you select "hand-wash" and then machine wash it anyway, it will end up somewhat shorter than the specified length.)

Large aluminum rings are standard on these wide silk slings. This can be problematic if you are very petite, so I would recommend a standard-width silk that can be made with medium-sized rings if you are petite. If you plan to machine-wash the toddler-width sling, the silk should soften up enough that you may be able to thread it through medium rings, but it will be a challenge even so.

While silk is a strong fiber and will stand up to occasional use with aplomb, I do not recommend using a single-layer silk as your only sling. With repeated washing and continuous use, any fiber will break down, but since silk is so thin to start with, it will break down sooner (with continuous use) than other fibers and could tear during use. I have used a single-layer silk sling with a heavy toddler, but never exclusively. Please discontinue use if it starts to look threadbare in any spots, and be aware that a well-used silk sling may develop a spontaneous hole after significant use.

Dupioni Silks
Deep navy	Dusty blue	Icy blue	Mint green	Golden sage
Light cocoa	Stone pink	Iridescent melon	Strawberry parfait	Paprika

Washing tips:In order to maintain the original crisp texture and luster of a dupioni sling, spot-cleaning is recommended, unless you wish to wash the whole sling, in which case dry cleaning will keep it in its original condition. If machine washed, dupioni silk loses some of its luster and softens considerably, and it will shrink about 10% during washing. (The luster can be regained to a certain extent by ironing the sling on your iron's silk setting, but the sling will never be as crisp as it was initially.) The sling will be sized to include shrinkage if you select "machine washing" below, but not if you select "hand washing only". In either case, hang to dry, as machine drying will adversely effect the fabric. This link has more information about washing silk.